Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez missed training after his move to Manchester City fell through on the transfer deadline day. According to Sky Sports, the Algerian winger failed to report for the Foxes training again on Thursday, a day after his move to Manchester City got scuppered. It was reported that the 26-year-old forward received multiple offers from the Citizens of Manchester, with the last of those believed to be a player-plus-cash bid worth in the region of £65m.
The West Midlands outfit value the Algeria international in the region of £95m but talks broke down with Man City when Pep Guardiola’s side were unwilling to go further than their last offer for Mahrez. The Sarcelles born winger put in another transfer request in the days leading up to Deadline Day and was not present during training on Friday last week which meant that he was not part of the Foxes’ squad that travelled to Merseyside in their 2-1 loss to Everton on Wednesday night.
It is believed that Mahrez was left depressed after his club failed to reach an agreement with Manchester City on Deadline Day and has since told the West Midlands outfit that his current emotional state is not strong enough to play regular competitive football right now.
In an interview with Sky Sports, one of Mahrez’s friends was quoted to have said, “This is the fourth transfer window in which Leicester have said they will allow him to leave. He feels very strongly that he has done everything in his powers for the club.
“Joining Manchester City would have been a dream for him. Playing for Pep Guardiola is something he is still desperate to do. That seems a long way off right now. He’s very down about how he’s been treated by a club he has served so well.”
When asked to address the winger’s situation at the club, Leicester boss Claude Puel said, “We will see, but the most important thing is to keep my focus with the others and we will see with Riyad,”
“It’s of course always a difficult situation and we will have to manage this situation with Riyad and I hope he can come back quickly with us and with a smile and happy to play with us.”
Mahrez has been instrumental in the Foxes’ recent climb to the top half of the Premier League table. They are currently occupying 7th place in the league standings which is largely due to the contribution of the Algerian maestro. He has featured in 27 matches for Leicester City this season, scoring 9 goals and providing 9 assists across all competitions. Claude Puel’s side can’t afford to lose his services in the coming months as he is one of their star players who can help them consolidate a 7th place finish in the Premier League. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Mahrez and whether the Foxes will be able to get the best out of the player in the near future.
